Pizza Pie and Lonesome

I miss my daughter who has been with friends and family the last 4 days. We had some 15 yr old issues. I wish she was here to share this pizza. We so enjoy eating together.

Thinking of her I made a pizza like this.

Dough:
3 cups organic, unbleached, unbromated white flour- Bob's Red Mill
1 pkg active dry yeast
1 tsp salt
1 tblsp organic white cane sugar
1 cup warm water
2 tbl olive oil
Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Add water and oil, stir till moistened, knead for about 10 minutes. Form into a ball, wet with additional olive oil, cover and let rise in a warm place till dble in size- 1 to 2 hrs. Halve and flatten and spread dough onto oiled pizza pan or cookie sheet. Prick dough copiously with a fork. Spread more olive oil thinly on top of dough.Save and refrigerate the other half of the dough for tomorrow.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Topping:

1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1 cup chopped baby bella mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped sweet bell peppers, red, green, yellow or any
1/2 cup diced tomatoes and green chilies, canned
1 cup finely shredded parmesan or Italian mix cheeses
garlic and basil to taste

Method:
Saute' onions, mushrooms, peppers in additional olive oil until soft , about 10 min over med heat. Strew evenly over pizza dough.

Distribute tomatoes and chilies, garlic and basil over pizza. Top with cheese. Place on lower rack in 450 degree oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is bronze or brown as desired.I like it a little burnt.

Serve with sour cream as desired.

If my daughter could smell this from 75 mi away perhaps she would come home.

Chicken Salad w/ Curry and Grapes and Yoghurt on Flatbread

In appreciation of this springlike day w/ warm sun and melting snow I ate lunch on the patio today.

The chicken salad included red grapes and green onions and sweet red bell pepper seasoned with garlic, curry powder and some heat. I used half mayonaisse and half unsweetened plain yoghurt as the moistening agent. A tiny bit of honey. I incorporated chopped salad greens( eg., spring mix)into the chicken salad rather than using it as a bed.

I ate it on torn pieces of pita or flat bread that I made with frozen whole wheat dough that I rolled out thin, pricked w/ a fork and baked.

You could do this of course with any fowl - chicken, turkey, pheasant or grouse. When you are eating on the patio it is outdoor food.

I had a glass of wine. My dog chased squirrels.The snow diminished. It was a window of sensory opportunity . Bring it on.

Sunset Squash, Acorn, on Leap Day

Cut your squash in half, lengthwise and scrape and remove the seed network with a spoon. Place face down on a cookie sheet pan and bake at 350 degrees until you smell squash, about 45 minutes, depending on the size of the squash and your nose.

If the skin feels soft it is done. Remove from oven, flip over to sunnyside up, add butter, brown sugar( or honey or maple syrup) and ginger. Add a squeeze of lemon juice. Eat alone as a late winter snowstorm treat, or along with a venison or grouse ragout or as a 1st course in a many course meal.

A little cayenne pepper will make the squash sweet and hot, which is irresistible even to a Mn palate.

Oatmeal Cookies w/ Chocolate Chips and Walnuts

Use the recipe from the Quaker Oatmeal cylinder, but use half olive oil and butter, and half honey and brown sugar and chocolate chips if your daughter does not like raisins, and use half whole wheat flour and white flour( organic, in my case) and a cup of walnuts and they are deep and rich and religious and they are good for you. Earthy,nutty and complete. You don't have to feel guilty when you eat them.

Baked Beans and Cornbread

Make your cornbread with whole grain cornmeal and half whole wheat and white flour. If you need quick use canned baked beans of your choice. A great combo for a snack or a meal or as part of a shore lunch.

Use the cornbread recipe on the bag or box, but add garlic and any cheese and jalapeno or cayenne pepper. Add onions and hot peppers to your beans, too.

Shore Lunch

You can do this in the fish house or in your kitchen during winter. It involves the same recipe and methodology as a traditional shore lunch on the shore of your favorite Mn or Canadian lake. I like to keep it simple. Fish, fried potatoes, baked beans.

Season( Lawry's, or cajun seasoning, etc) and flour your filets and pan fry in oil that is half the depth of your fish. You do not need to deep fry.Add oil as necessary.

Add onions, garlic and hot peppers of your choice to taste to the potatoes, as well as salt and black pepper.

Add browned onions and jalapeno or cayenne peppers to taste to the baked beans.

I like to know that I am eating when I am eating. You will, too. Spice it up.

A whole wheat soft shell tortilla which can be used as a taco or burrito. Basmati rice w/ lime and cilantro, cajun seasoned julienned chicken breast, avocado, salsa and grated jack cheese.Add sour cream and some heat to taste.

You can do this with pheasant or grouse, too.

.Do yourself a favor tomorrow and watch various Whitney Houston tributes on the day of her funeral. Enjoy and appreciate her gift of song as you do the gift of food.

She was so good and I am so sad.